LIGNET: The Coming Iran-Israel Assassination War

Will the U.S. Be Dragged Into an Iran-Israel Assassination War?

Yesterday’s assassination attempts on Israeli diplomats were almost certainly sponsored by the Iranian government in response to a series of assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists over the last two years for which Israel has been widely blamed. They represent a dangerous deterioration in the Iran situation and likely presage more state-sponsored violence by Israel in 2012, with reprisals by Iran. They also raise several serious questions, such as whether Americans will be the targets of similar attacks, whether a leak by U.S. officials to the news media made the situation worse, and whether these attacks will increase the likelihood of an Israeli airstrike on Iran. Americans must be prepared. It is becoming increasingly likely that we will soon be dragged into a war that bears little resemblance to the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq, or to any other war the United States has ever fought.

More: Leak to Media Likely Inspired Hits on Israel

The NBC News report that quoted unnamed U.S. officials saying Israel had teamed up with the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) to carry out the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists likely inspired Iran to target Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia yesterday. This is unfortunate, given that the February 9 report cannot be substantiated and is likely incorrect. The unnamed U.S. officials might have been trying to deflect blame for the assassinations of Iranian scientists from the United States, but their actions are likely having the opposite effect.